Vehicle drivers must understand that motorcycles have equal
right-of-way

Don’t tailgate a motorcycle

Source: Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Recent motorcycle crashes

• Michael J. Murphy, 52, of Mount Pleasant,
remains hospitalized in Minneasota after the motorcycle he was
driving pulled out in front of an oncoming Buick at about 8:09 p.m.
Sept. 23 about five miles north of Brainerd. His wife, Ann M.
Murphy, 51, was killed in the crash.

• Melissa Corona, 24, of Racine, was found near
an abandoned motorcycle at about 12:35 a.m. Sept. 22 in the 2000
block of Lathrop Avenue in Racine. Police believe the driver
somehow lost control of the bike and it crashed, ejecting the
pair.

• Fred Hackbarth, 67, of Caledonia, remains
hospitalized after his motorcycle was struck by a vehicle at about
8:47 a.m. Sept. 21 at the intersection of Spring Street and Newman
Road in Mount Pleasant.

• Daniel S. Saeger, 61, of Thiensville, was
seriously injured at about 1:58 p.m. Sept. 5 when his motorcycle
tipped over while riding across rough-surfaced railroad tracks on
Yout Street near Edgewood Avenue in Racine, according to Racine
police reports. The motorcycle hit a "rough road surface due to
deteriorating conditions" across the railroad tracks and Saeger
lost control of the bike, a traffic crash report stated.

• Adam Carpino, 28, died Sept. 2 from injuries
suffered at about 8:30 p.m. Aug. 21 in Racine. Carpino was
westbound on 16th Street when his motorcycle was struck by an
eastbound sport-utility vehicle, which made a left turn onto
Kearney Avenue in front of him. The SUV immediately left the
area.

• Larry Lussier, 55, of Racine, died Aug. 27
after his motorcycle was struck earlier that day on Durand Avenue
just west of Highway 31 in Mount Pleasant. His wife was thrown from
the motorcycle after it collided with a car and was treated for
injuries. But Lussier was stuck under his motorcycle - and he
caught on fire as gasoline spilled out - before bystanders could
pull him out.

RACINE COUNTY - A string of serious, and even fatal, motorcycle
crashes in Racine County or involving local residents may prompt
the belief that motorcycle crash rates are increasing.

But law enforcement officials here said they have no crash
statistics to back up that perception. Some say it simply seems
like there is a hike in crashes because some have occurred during
the day, in heavily traveled areas, or gained increasing amounts of
public attention.

Since Aug. 21, six people have been injured or killed in
motorcycle crashes in Racine County. Also during this time, a Mount
Pleasant woman was killed, and her husband critically injured, in a
motorcycle crash in Minnesota.

Racine Police Sgt. Marty Pavilonis and Racine County sheriff's
Lt. Dan Klatt agreed with Smith, saying they have not seen an
increase in motorcycle crashes in their communities. They said
motorcycle crashes occur consistently, but some recent wrecks
gained more public attention.

"I don't have any reason or answers as to why we're having these
serious crashes," Smith said. "Inattentive driving, I think, is the
No. 1 cause. We have a lot of distractions (for vehicle drivers)
now. Nice stereos, car phones and people are texting. It is still
happening (despite texting while driving being illegal)."

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation,
investigating officers statewide report that the most common cause
of a vehicle-motorcycle crash is the vehicle driver turning left in
front of an oncoming motorcycle. That's because the vehicle driver
said he or she simply didn't see it.

Of the seven crashes that occurred locally or involved Racine
County residents, Smith pointed to three as possibly being caused
by motorcycle driver behavior or the lack of attention that vehicle
drivers pay to motorcyclists.

In one, Melissa Corona, 24, of Racine, was killed when the
motorcycle she was riding on somehow lost control, ejecting her
from the bike. In another, Fred Hackbarth, 67, of Caledonia, was
seriously injured when his motorcycle was struck by a vehicle at an
intersection. The third involved Mount Pleasant couple Michael and
Ann Murphy, who were struck by an oncoming car in Minnesota after
the motorcycle they were on pulled out in front of it, according to
Minnesota State Patrol reports.

But local law enforcement officials said they have no hard
evidence that vehicle driver inattentiveness, and improper behavior
by motorcycle drivers, were factors in each of these motorcycle
crashes. Some of these crashes occurred so recently that they
remain under investigation and precise causes aren't yet
determined.

In 2009 - the most recent year for which crash data is available
- one motorcyclist was injured or killed statewide every 3.9 hours,
according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. That's
approximately 100 motorcyclists killed each year in Wisconsin
traffic crashes, according to the DOT.

"They don't understand the seriousness if they get into a
vehicle crash. It can be life-ending or life-altering," Smith
said.

But Heather Fleming, 38, of Caledonia, knows the consequences
all too well. Her father, Hackbarth, remains hospitalized with
broken bones and internal injuries after his Sept. 21 crash. He
suffered additional setbacks Monday and Tuesday with
gastrointestinal bleeding and a bowel obstruction, she said.

"He can't go to the gym, he can't work, he can't ride the
motorcycle," said Fleming, a nursing supervisor.

The crash took some of the joy out of his life, she said. Her
father bought the motorcycle earlier this year, after her mother
died of cancer last fall.

"You could have lost another parent," she said, because some
vehicle drivers don't watch out for motorcycles. "You should be
acutely aware of other people on the road."

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